The Ninth Hour
by Wren1
Summary: When Relena contracts a deadly new virus, Heero rushes to save her, and ends up uncovering a plot that runs much deeper than anyone imagined. (A great BULK of the rest of this story will by up by Summer 2002! Been to lazy to type it up till now you see.)
1. Prologue

The Ninth Hour  
  
by   
  
The Wren  
  
Prologue  
  
  
A young man sat in the cockpit of a huge Mobile Suit. Some of its inner screens flickered with subtle golden light, and on others there appeared pictures of people and places from all over the Earth. Suddenly, one of the smaller screens flashed with bold, red letters: MISSION. His fingers flew across the controls with deft ease. Indeed, the controls of this machine were as much a part of him as his blood and bones were. The remained a frustrating combination of both a link to purpose, and a barrier from...something else. Something that was always right there in front of him and out of reach at the same time. As he entered the clearance code, more red letters flashed up onto the screen.   
  
MISSION: INFILTRATE   
GREENPLAINS CENBTER FOR EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH   
RETRIEVE X-SERUM # 7887  
LOCTATION: SECURE SAFE ROOM #102  
FLOOR B  
  
"Mission accepted." He muttered, voice flat and emotionless.  
  
The year was After Colony 199, and as he powered up his mobile suit, a simple Leo, (with a few...personal modifications) the young man, Heero Yuy, ran a hand through his unruly dark brown hair. The unfathomable twin oceans that were his eyes registered no emotion as the huge mobile suit rocketed toward its destination. All of the nineteen years of his life that he could recall had been spent on missions like this one. Since peace had taken a major hold upon the colonies and earth though, the amount of real missions had died down considerably, leaving only simple, mindless errands like this one for the mercenary Preventer he had become. Heero Yuy, the perfect soldier, one of the five pilots who had saved the world with the hands of his incredible Gundam, was reduced to chores. Perhaps things would have been different had he know some way. Another way of life. But he'd been born and raised for this life of endless tasks and military operations, no matter how small. This was all he knew. Fight. Survive. Mission. Accepted.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Zero Hour

  
  
Zero Hour  
  
Relena Peacecraft, the nineteen-year-old Vice Foreign Minister of Earth, sighed as she exited her last conference of the day. There were just far too many aging, moth ball choking old men who seemed overly fond of debating a subject to death. But four years ago she'd taken on this role, and knew very well that billions of people's livelihoods depended on depended on these peace conferences.   
  
Still...on quiet days, when all those billions of people seemed so far away, she liked to take a chance to breathe. Sometimes she'd sit outside and gaze at the ocean for hours. It comforted her. Deep, mysterious, strong...almost like-  
  
"Relena!" A tall, dark haired and very pregnant Italian woman strode up to her, smiling.   
  
"Noin!" She exclaimed, chuckling. "I though you were in the hospital today!"   
  
"Oh, I was." Noin answered. "But it was only a short checkup. You know, doctors just monitoring the baby." She grinned, positively radiating the peculiar glow that had followed her ever since her marriage to Relena's older brother, Milliardo Peacecraft.   
  
Relena helped Noin and all of her seven and a half months of stomach into her car before trotting to the opposite side to drive. She smiled. "And I trust everything is fine?"  
  
"Couldn't be better!" She beamed. "Your brother though, is becoming a bit annoying. Every time a frown the wrong way he's ready to call in his army of doctors." She shook her head and laughed, making her shining black bangs flop over her nose. Relena laughed fondly as well, but Noin couldn't help noticing the way her sister-in-law's eyes were hooded...and the dark circles, though painstakingly concealed with makeup, that appeared under her eyes. Formerly the Queen of Earth, she had become a human symbol of galactic peace during her short reign, and though the power she now wielded was much less, she remained in the public eye as a constant reminder of comfort and peace. Of course Relena was surrounded by support and love from her friends and family...but there was still something missing.  
  
Relena pulled the car into the driveway of the huge manor house she and her family resided in, and was taken aback when she saw her brother standing in the doorway, a smile painted over his lips. The tall general had promised he would finish his work early, but neither woman suspected that he would beat them home! She straightened when he saw them coming, and moved to meet the car. Four years had been nothing but kind to Milliardo. He was still the muscular, handsome man he'd grown into early, and still sported the trademark long, blonde hair.   
  
Relena jumped from the car and ran to him, arms outstretched, and he caught her up in a huge bear hug, tousling her hair at the same time. It took Noin a bit longer though, as her current state didn't exactly allow for bounding. Instead, she waddled quickly over to Milliardo, who placed a hand tenderly on her belly, and looked at her with such love, she though she might get lost in his eyes. He was the only one who she'd ever known that could make such icy eyes so very warm...  
  
"How is he?" He asked.  
  
"Fine, very healthy." She murmured happily. He beamed, captured her hand in his own, and put an arm around the shoulders of his patient sister, who'd been smiling oddly during the exchange. Her shoulders were much bonier than he remembered. In fact, Milliardo made a mental note to question her about her weight later...for both he and his wife had noticed that her clothes were getting looser and looser on her already light frame. For the moment though, he had an announcement.   
  
"Well!" He began. "I'm pleased to tell you both that I've had the kitchens prepare something special tonight." He stated proudly.   
  
"Oh?" Noin looked a bit surprised, but chuckled. Special was Milliardo's favorite word of late.   
  
"Whatever it is," Relena said in a rather deadpan and dangerous voice. "I hope they made enough for you two...because I can't promise I won't eat it all!" She snickered.  
  
"Not if I get there first!" Noin challenged immediately. Milliardo laughed. That was the way it had been between his wife and sister ever since Noin had begun looking after her four years ago. She and Relena were just as close as real sisters, and bickered and challenged each other just and often and fondly as if they'd known each other for their whole lives. He'd been pleased that the two got along so well.  
  
The three walked into the house, the shouting and laughing resounding. No one noticed though...the shadowy figure clutching the octagonal box that slipped silently around the side of the house.   
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
More stuffed than she had been in a long time, Relena flopped onto her bed. Her brother had spent hours with the cook coordinating all of their favorite meals, and the night's dinner had been a happy one. Recently, quite a few of the servants had joined them at the table as they had become closer friends with their employers, and they added a pleasant hum of activity to the atmosphere. For awhile, she had been just Relena, a nineteen-year-old girl with a wonderful older mother, brother, and sister-in-law. There had been no stress or pressure. She smiles quietly to herself as she drifted off to sleep. Her mind was so filled wit already persistent dreams that she didn't notice the slight chemical scent on her pillow...  
  
  
  



	3. Hour One

Hour One  
  
Heero slipped into the "high security" building with the ease of a cat. Swiftly he made his way down the first hallway, then the second, taking their room numbers into account.   
  
"Floor B, room 102." He muttered under his breath as he found the heavy steel door, inconspicuously labeled with a large orange biohazard symbol. "Now...I wonder what they could be keeping in here?" A wry tone slipping into his voice, and he smirked uncharacteristically.  
  
Upon entering the room, even the steel-willed Heero Yuy found himself amazed, and his jaw dropped for a second. The chamber was cavernous, at least big enough to fit a football stadium. Judging from its mass, it must have indeed taken up most of the building. The majority of the walls were black steel, and the singular occupied corner was filled with a few desks. Papers were strewn everywhere on one of them, and on another, neat, orderly files were being held down by rectangular paperweights. Towards the back, two large cabinets caught his eye. In one, various beakers and graduated cylinders were marked with black tape. In the other cabinet, they were marked with white. The temperatures in each cabinet seemed to be fluctuating as the minutes passed.   
  
Suddenly though, there it was in the first cabinet. A vile marked with black tape. 7887. He took it, slipped it into a small cloth bag, and was about to leave when he spotted a vile in the other cabinet...the ones with white tape. It read, "Killswitch 7887." Narrowing his eyes, he took this vile as well.  
  
Finally, Heero turned to leave the room, and strode easily passed the tables. So many papers...so many notes. His eyes wandered across them as he walked by...but stopped dead in his tracks when he caught sight of a little scrap of paper... there were words written on it...in all caps. A name that made his head swim for a moment before he was able to gain control.   
  
-"Note to self: RELENA DORLIAN - Vice Foreign Minister of Earth = Control Group 1. Project Purification commenced - 19:00 hours - Furies begin to move."  
  
Heero's teeth clenched. He was uncertain. And he didn't like that feeling at all. Why was her name here? What were furies? What were they going to do to her? His mind ticked off questions darkly as he bolted towards the Leo. Once in the cockpit, he slipped the vials into a compartment just below the main left-hand monitor. And as he took off, heart cold with a new dread, he started to gather information.   



	4. Hour Two

Hour Two  
  
Relena woke up, seemingly only an hour after she'd gone to sleep. A strange dream. Heero always seemed to find a way into her dreams. But she soon lost concentration in that pain in her heart when a splitting headache seized her. She put a hand to her forehead, surprised to find it burning with fever. "Odd.." She muttered. She didn't really feel all that sick.   
  
Relena climbed from her bed to get to the bathroom, a cold glass of water in mind.  
  
*CRASH* Dizziness pounded her eyes ferociously, and she fell right into a very expensive vase, which soon found its way to the floor in pieces.   
  
*SHATTER*   
*SLAM* The door flew open, and when her eyes cleared, she found her brother at her side, helping her to her feet. Noin, slower, hobbled into the room with a gasp.   
  
"Relena!" She cried, stricken suddenly with worry and Milliardo lifted the feverish princess and helped her back to her bed. She murmured something about water...and also something else...a name. A name she hadn't mentioned in some months. She didn't dwell on the thought though. Relena was too sick to have them losing focus over a fever dream. Sweat already dampened her forehead, and her temperature was rising dangerously. She and Milliardo exchanged panicked glances as a doctor was called.  



End file.
